Veteran miserable without his pain medication: Letters

Veteran in pain homebound without meds

There is no consideration for veterans’ condition or what is needed to treat their pain. I had a pain management appointment that consisted of a nurse practitioner telling me that since I have been on my medication so long, it doesn't work.

I have degenerative disc disease and severe scoliosis. Being bent over, I have difficulty breathing. No one cares. I have just received notice that my pain medications are going to be cut even more.

When I had my original prescription, I would wake up and try to get out of bed and at times would fall to my knees. I would take my 30 mg of oxycodone and sit for 45 minutes to an hour, and the pain would subside enough that I could prepare breakfast and take care of little dogs.

I called the VA crisis hot line, and the counselor said I should start a protest, as he has heard this same complaint from many veterans. We are not all drug addicts. If people want to overdose, they will get the drugs somewhere.

We need help, and Veterans Affairs has turned its back on us. I'm not going to give up.

Letter-writer James Dowdy on Friday calls President Trump “dangerous” for attacking the First Amendment.

Trump is not attacking the First Amendment. He is criticizing media for failing to verify many of the often-negative articles they write about him. Recently, three CNN reporters resigned after publishing a false story about ties between Russia and a Trump ally; and ABC suspended Brian Ross for “serious error” after he reported incorrectly that Michael Flynn was directed by Trump to contact Russia during his campaign. It was after his election and completely legal.

Why are these “mistakes” never in any stories that praise the president? The bias in many of the media is prevalent, and any story that can be used to make the president look bad is pursued.

Many people may not like the style of Trump, but I will take substance over style any day. Even without any Democratic support, our economy is growing. The stock market is reaching new highs due to excessive regulations being removed, more than a million new jobs and companies staying in the United States or moving back here.

The new tax bill will encourage even more businesses to stay and grow in the U.S., and reduce taxes for most Americans.

The biggest story from a national-style campaign in a single statewide election is that more than 48 percent of Alabama voters cast ballots for Judge Roy Moore. Despite a defamation crusade by the Washington establishment of both parties, and an embargo by major national media (including Fox News) against much of the evidence from court records et al. discrediting the allegations against Moore, he almost won.

As if it were a major national campaign, Democrats used charges of racism to gin up black turnout, and many Republicans were influenced by the example of their hypocritical senior senator to write in votes against Moore.

Still, after five previous statewide campaigns by Moore (two successful), millions of Alabamians knew the incorruptible character and integrity of Moore and/or valued support for "draining the swamp" over highly dubious last-minute sexual allegations. Good for them.